- Google warns quantum computing may break Bitcoin earlier than thought, prepares 2029 transition
Source: The Block
“Google Research published updated estimates warning that future quantum computers could break cryptocurrencies sooner than previously thought, though such an event is still several years away. In a Tuesday blog post, Google explained that most blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies rely on the 256-bit elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP-256) to secure wallets and transactions. Citing the latest whitepaper from Google Research, the blog post said that the necessary quantum computing resources to break the ECDLP-256 have decreased significantly. … Google’s white paper added that the reduced execution time allows quantum computers to conduct real-time attacks within bitcoin’s average block time of 10 minutes. This enables “on-spend” attacks, which are quantum computing attacks that target active cryptocurrency transactions while they are still in the mempool.” (03/31/26)
https://www.theblock.co/post/395814/google-quantum-computing-earlier
- Federal “God Squad” exempts oil & gas drilling in Gulf from endangered species rules
Source: SFGate
“The Trump administration on Tuesday exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said environmentalists’ lawsuits against the industry threatened to hobble domestic energy supplies as the U.S. wages war against Iran. Critics said the move by the government’s Endangered Species Committee could doom a rare whale species and harm other marine life. Nicknamed the ‘God Squad’ by groups who say it can decide a species’ fate, the committee comprises several Trump administration officials and is chaired by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. It met Tuesday for the first time in more than three decades amid global oil shocks and soaring energy prices brought on by the Iran war.” (03/31/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/federal-god-squad-poised-to-exempt-oil-and-gas-22161189.php
- Italy: Regime refuses US aircraft use of Sicily base for Middle East operations, sources say
Source: Reuters
“Italy last week denied permission for U.S. military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before heading to the Middle East, sources said on Tuesday, because Washington had not sought prior authorisation from the government in Rome. According to the Corriere della Sera daily, which first reported the news, ‘some U.S. bombers’ had been due to land at the base in eastern Sicily before flying on to the Middle East, where the United States is at war with Israel against Iran. The report did not specify when the aircraft were due to land but said permission was denied because the U.S. had not requested clearance and Italy’s military leadership had not been consulted, as required under treaties governing the use of U.S. military installations in the country.” (03/31/26)
- Indonesia arrests Scottish man sought by Spain in connection with an international crime syndicate
Source: SFGate
“A Scottish man, described as a senior figure in an international crime syndicate, was arrested shortly after landing on the resort island of Bali, authorities in Indonesia said Tuesday. The 45-year-old, identified as Steven Lyons, was taken into custody by immigration officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday on arrival from Singapore, according to Untung Widiyatmoko, head of Indonesia’s branch of Interpol. The immigration system had flagged him as the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued at Spain’s request. A Red Notice is an alert issued by Interpol at the request of a member country for police worldwide to arrest a suspect for extradition. Lyons, who is wanted in Spain and the United Kingdom in connection with organized crime, drug trafficking and money laundering, will be extradited to Spain on Wednesday, Widiyatmoko told reporters in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali.” (03/31/26)
- Charlie Kirk bullet analysis finds no conclusive link to rifle found near scene
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“An analysis from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) could not conclusively connect a bullet fragment recovered during Charlie Kirk’s autopsy to the rifle found near the scene of the rightwing political activist’s killing – and the FBI is running additional tests, lawyers for Kirk’s accused murderer said in recent court filings. In the court filings, Tyler Robinson’s defense team also asked for a delay to a preliminary hearing scheduled in May, saying they need time to review the bullet analysis as well as an enormous amount of other material that could contribute to the suspect’s defense. …The defense said in its motion that it may try to use the analysis to clear Robinson of blame during the preliminary hearing while prosecutors aim to show they have enough evidence against him to proceed with a trial.” (03/31/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/31/charlie-kirk-bullet-rifle
- In Iran, the US Manufactured an Enemy and Lost All Its Friends
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Snider“As recently as March 3, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said the IAEA ‘has found no evidence that Iran is building a nuclear bomb.’ On March 18, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a Senate Intelligence Committee that since the first round of bombing Iran in Operation Midnight Hammer, ‘[t]here has been no efforts … to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.’ … The United States opted for an offensive war of choice. The White House made that choice unilaterally. That is not hegemony: that is primacy that expects its vassal states to follow. NATO allies and EU friends were not consulted. Gulf States and Muslim partners lobbied with ferocity against it. Neither the American relationship with NATO nor with the Gulf States will end, but both have been badly damaged and will not look the same in the future.” (03/31/26)
- Chiles v. Salazar: One Cheer for SCOTUS
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp“As it happens, I’m extremely skeptical of ‘conversion therapy.’ So far as I can tell, sexual orientation isn’t something that can be consciously/intentionally altered using talk or any other kind of ‘therapy.’ Nor, for that matter, is it a ‘medical condition’ at all. It doesn’t need to be ‘treated.’ It’s just a characteristic (and perhaps an evolving, rather than static/permanent characteristic) that people discover in themselves. But that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t be able to think or say otherwise, or to attempt to ‘convert’ consenting others through speech. Note the qualifier: ‘Consenting.'” (03/31/26)
- Ten Years Ago Today, Trump Promised To Eliminate the National Debt. Instead, It Has Doubled.
Source: Reason
by Eric Boehm“Ten years ago today, Donald Trump said he would pay off the national debt in the span of just eight years. That did not happen. Instead, the gross national debt has doubled since that day — from about $19 trillion to over $39 trillion. Much of that additional borrowing has taken place during Trump’s five-plus years in the White House. The gap between Trump’s outlandish promise and the brutal fiscal reality of the past decade is not just a political gotcha. It’s also an apt illustration of how far and how fast the debt has spiraled. And it’s a painful reminder of a missed opportunity that Americans will be facing for a long, long time. The bill for these 10 years of fiscal profligacy will be coming due long after Trump has finally departed from the political scene.” (03/31/26)
- Dumb or Self-Interested Political Rulers
Source: Pierre Lemieux
by Pierre Lemieux“To understand politics, we must presume that a head of state or other political ruler is, like the rest of us, primarily concerned with his own interests. When he does favor somebody else’s interests, it is as he interprets them (as a normal human being does toward his children), or simply because he thereby buys the beneficiary’s support. Thus, political and social institutions should be such that when a ruler acts foolishly or self-interestedly, he still furthers the common interests of his subjects (‘citizens’), instead of the interests of a favored group or his own interests against other people.” (03/31/26)
https://pierrelemieux.substack.com/p/dumb-or-self-interested-political
- Against The Concept Of Telescopic Altruism
Source: Astral Codex Ten
by Scott Alexander“‘Telescopic altruism’ is a supposed tendency for some people to ignore those close to them in favor of those further away. Like its cousin ‘virtue signaling,’ it usually gets used to own the libs. Some lib cares about people in Gaza — why? Shouldn’t she be thinking about her friends and neighbors instead? The only possible explanation is that she’s an evil person who hates everyone around her, but manages to feel superior to decent people by pretending to ‘care’ about foreigners who she’ll never meet. This collapses upon five seconds’ thought. Okay, so the lib is angry about the Israeli military killing 50,000 people in Gaza. Do you think she would be angry if the Israeli military killed 50,000 of her neighbors? Probably yes? Then what’s the problem?” (03/31/26)
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/against-the-concept-of-telescopic
- Lessons From the Vietnam War for Iran
Source: Townhall
by Cal Thomas“We Americans are an impatient lot. If we must engage in warfare, we would prefer it be wrapped up in weeks, not months, and certainly not years like World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. In those wars, we had the draft, so more Americans were engaged in fighting and watching their progress, or lack thereof. Today, while recruiting numbers have increased in our all-volunteer military, the taste for war among the public has declined. One of President Trump’s positions that attracted voters was his promise to end wars, not start new ones.” (03/31/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/calthomas/2026/03/31/lessons-from-the-vietnam-war-for-iran-n2673663
- The Monthly Table: March — Lemon Pound Cake
Source: Roads Go Ever On
by Bekah Graham“Bright, sharp, velvety smooth, this elegant and opulent Lemon Pound Cake answers the call. Another musical performance captured attention recently—this one involving an iconic rapper, a bungled police raid, and a lawsuit five officers are no doubt now regretting. While you gather your tools and ingredients and begin zesting a few lemons, filling the room with that bright, beautiful aroma, allow me to briefly recount the tale of Afroman and the Adams County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Department (working title).” (03/31/26)
https://bekahgwen.substack.com/p/the-monthly-table-march-lemon-pound
- The Oil Crisis is About to Get Physical
Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman“In normal times, about 20 percent of the world’s oil production passes through the Strait of Hormuz. That flow has been cut off except for Iranian oil and a handful of other vessels the Iranians are allowing through. This disruption has led to a large spike in oil futures prices …. But this price rise has been speculative, driven by the (justified) expectation of future shortages rather than a current lack of oil. In fact, so far deliveries to markets around the world haven’t declined, because shipping oil from the Persian Gulf to major markets takes 4-6 weeks. As a result there was a large quantity of oil already at sea, outside the Strait, when the war began. However, this grace period is about to end. The oil crisis is about to get physical.” (03/31/26)
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-oil-crisis-is-about-to-get-physical
- License plate readers are a privacy concern lacking oversight
Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Caleb O Brown & Alasdair Whitney“Privacy is not a loophole for criminals. it’s a precondition for a free society. The government needs far more than administrative convenience to justify eroding it.” (03/31/26)
- Growing Up Means Realizing That None Of The Worst Villains Are In Prison
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone“When we’re kids we play cops and robbers, and watch cartoons about evil criminals being stopped by virtuous crime fighters. Then when we mature we learn that all the most evil people are operating within the laws of our nation, and nobody ever sends them to jail. Ask a child to draw a Bad Guy and they’ll probably draw a bank robber, a thief, a supervillain, or somebody breaking the law in some way, because that’s what young people are trained to believe wickedness looks like in their world. They won’t usually draw a politician, a billionaire, a media mogul, a tech plutocrat, a warmonger, or any of the rich and powerful people who are causing the real suffering in our world. The ones who impose laws upon our society ensuring the continuation of poverty, inequality, war, oppression and tyranny. ” (03/31/26)
- A New Era of International Gangsterism
Source: Liberal Currents
by Peter Juul“Trump, Putin, and Xi believe wholeheartedly that the strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must.” (03/31/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/a-new-era-of-international-gangsterism/
- Trump Wanted to Replicate His Venezuela “Success” in Iran. What Has It Even Looked Like?
Source: The Intercept
by Gabriel Hetland“As the war passes the four-week mark, it is abundantly clear Iran will not be the next Venezuela. Operation Absolute Resolve, the code name for the U.S. attack on Venezuela, was a spectacular success in tactical terms. The U.S. achieved its military aim of removing Maduro in just a few hours and suffered zero U.S. service member fatalities and only a handful of injuries, although the operation cost the lives of around 70 Venezuelans and 32 Cuban security forces. While this toll should not be minimized, it pales in comparison to the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran, which as of mid-March has led to at least 3,000 deaths …. Well over a dozen countries are now involved, and the war threatens to bring the global economy to a halt due to the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a pivotal passage for oil, liquid natural gas, fertilizer, and other crucial commodities.” (03/31/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/03/31/trump-iran-war-venezuela-maduro/
- If Europe can control American speech, our liberties are at risk
Source: The Hill
by Kristen Waggoner“Who has power over your online speech? Ask most Americans that question, and they are likely to name tech giants like Meta, our elected representatives or federal agencies. Hopefully, some would mention our Constitution. But few would agree to the idea that unelected bureaucrats in Europe can control what Americans see or say online. Yet that is increasingly a reality — and one that Elon Musk and X are challenging with a new lawsuit at the General Court of the European Union.” (03/31/26)
- Two Different Wars, Two Different Presidents, But the Same Lies
Source: TomDispatch
by Helen Benedict“I’m writing this piece well into President Donald Trump’s new war with Iran, which, with the help of Israel, has already killed more than 2,000 civilians, including 175 schoolgirls and staff; displaced some 3.2 million people; and is costing the American taxpayer at least one billion dollars a day. All of which is tragically reminiscent of the last time a Republican president led the U.S. into a war on a river of lies and greed. I’m thinking, of course, about George W. Bush and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Weapons that don’t exist. Threats to this country that aren’t real. Liberation for a people that the U.S. will never win over. Freedom for women about whom nobody in power cares a jot. A war that will bring total victory in only a few days or weeks. All this we heard in 2003, and all this we are hearing again now.” (03/31/26)
- Some Declaration of Independence Charges Against King George Apply to Wannabe King Donald Trump
Source: Washington Monthly
by Bill Scher“America is three months away from the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and President Donald Trump is claiming it as his own, with Semiquincentennial dollar coins featuring his image and dollar bills bearing his signature. But while Trump exploits America’s birthday for further self-aggrandizement, he should read the document we are ostensibly celebrating. If he bothers, he will find the king from whom America’s founders were declaring independence was behaving in very familiar ways.” (03/31/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/03/31/declaration-of-independence-charges-trump-king-george/
- Chicago’s Hotel Tax Gamble: Raising Prices to Attract Tourists
Source: The Daily Economy
by Antón Chamberlin“By hiking its hotel tax to 19 percent, Chicago is funding marketing meant to draw visitors — but higher costs are likely to deter the very tourists it hopes to attract.” (03/31/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/chicagos-hotel-tax-gamble-raising-prices-to-attract-tourists/
- The Austrian Fix for the Manufactured Iranian Energy Crisis
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Lucas Peters“The ongoing destruction of the world’s largest natural-gas reservoir at South Pars and Qatar has produced exactly what Austrian economics predicts: sudden, irreplaceable capital destruction followed by a violent supply shock. Oil has spiked, European gas prices have jumped, and the Strait of Hormuz is now a flashpoint. Everyday Americans already face higher gasoline, heating, trucking, and grocery costs; businesses confront malinvestment cascades; and central planners are salivating over the opportunity to impose rationing, digital IDs, CBDCs, and ‘energy lockdowns.’ This is not mere geopolitics; it is state warfare smashing the capital structure and then using the resulting artificial scarcity to expand control. From a strict libertarian and Austrian standpoint, two interlocking ideas cut through the chaos and point to the only workable solution today: immediate, total disentanglement from the conflict, and uncompromising reliance on free-market prices, sound money, and voluntary exchange instead of any form of central planning.” (03/31/26)
https://mises.org/power-market/austrian-fix-manufactured-iranian-energy-crisis
- US-Israel War on Iran Undermining Very Foundations of Rule of Law
Source: Foreign Policy In Focus
by Phyllis Bennis“The US and Israeli war has, from its very beginning, violated both US domestic and international law. The legal consequences go beyond specific violations. Washington and Tel Aviv’s breaches of the United Nations Charter and other legal frameworks also undermine the very foundations of the rule of law. Even while international legal institutions too often lack sufficient capacity to enforce their decisions, they still provide a crucial framework for protest, for pressure on individual governments, and for the hope of a future world where the rule of law is paramount. Now, however, that future is in more danger than any other time in recent memory. Right now, Iranian civilians are paying the highest price. But the collapse of the rule of law makes the future more dangerous for everyone else, too.” (03/31/26)
https://fpif.org/the-u-s-israeli-war-on-iran-is-illegal-heres-why-that-matters/
- A True Humanism
Source: Law & Liberty
by Helen Dale“Adam Smith had the kind of insights that can be used to make human life better.” (03/31/26)
- What Nobel Minds Get Wrong
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mani Basharzad“Each year after the Nobel Prize announcements, laureates, who are among the greatest minds of their generation, gather and shape a broader intellectual conversation. At this year’s gathering, a Nobel laureate in physics posed a question to the economic laureates: ‘Can we grow without limit? What about finite resources?’ He added, ‘At some point, must we also modify this growth system — which wants to consume more and more of the Earth’s resources?’ To answer this question, we need to go back to a bet made about humanity’s fate in 1980. Economist Julian Simon and biologist Paul Ehrlich made a wager about the future of humanity. At the heart of the bet was a simple question: Would population growth lead to resource scarcity and human decline, or to greater prosperity and innovation?” (03/31/26)
- Why the US Navy won’t blast the Iranians and “open” Strait of Hormuz
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by James A Russell“American taxpayers could be forgiven if recent events have left them wondering why the largest and most expensive Navy in the world is sitting well outside the Strait of Hormuz, watching powerlessly as the Iranians decide which ships they will allow to transit the waterway. After all, they must wonder, why can’t the Navy simply blast the Iranians away and re-open the strait, sending life and the global economy back to normal? Alas, the days of omnipotent U.S. sea power as a power projection instrument close to well defended shorelines are coming to an end. This change raises questions about the future of navies and the wisdom of investment in these extremely expensive instruments of national power.” (03/31/26)
- Bari Weiss and the “Four Horsemen of New Zionism”
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Brandt Burleson“The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has received over two-hundred complaints from American troops that their commanders used the Book of Revelation to frame the Iran War as a ‘Holy War’ in which President Donald Trump was chosen to ignite ‘The End Times’ as part of ‘God’s divine plan.’ When I decided to make this series about the ‘Four Horsemen of New Zionism,’ I meant it purely metaphorically. It seems some of our top brass have a more literal interpretation (welcome to the End Times). The Horseman, or rather Horsewoman, we will be spotlighting in this article is none other than the Empress of Identity, the Herald of Cancellation, Bari Weiss.” (03/31/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/bari-weiss-and-the-four-horsemen-of-new-zionism
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 03/31/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Trump Looking For ‘Off-Ramp?’ It’s Not That Easy.” (03/31/26)
- Capital Record, episode 291
Source: National Review
“Social Media and the Crisis of Responsibility.” (03/31/26)
- Trump Watch, 03/31/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Distraction of the Iran War.” (03/31/26)
- Compound Interest, 03/31/26
Source: Semafor
“Can tiny homes — and tiny-home mortgages — solve the housing crisis?” (03/31/26)
- The Bryan Hyde Show, 03/31/26
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“It’s my weekly visit with Eric Peters from Eric Peters Autos. Now more than ever, Eric is a voice of reason in a culture that is drifting dangerously close to the edge.” (03/31/26)
- Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 03/31/26
Source: Politico
“A major test of Trump’s grip on the GOP.” (03/31/26)